


Learning Something New

by huldrejenta



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dom/sub Undertones, M/M, Taking Care of Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 22:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5473562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huldrejenta/pseuds/huldrejenta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry had always been the strong one. Maybe what he needed was for someone to take care of him every now and then.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AWickedMemory (TeddyLaCroix)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=AWickedMemory+%28TeddyLaCroix%29).



> Happy holidays, dear AWickedMemory! I hope you enjoy this little ficlet :)
> 
> Many thanks to the wonderful mods and to the equally wonderful Shiftylinguini for beta reading!

Getting ready for work always followed the same routine, a routine that had been shaped and moulded through countless mornings until it fit Harry like a glove.

He would shake off any leftover sleep with relative ease before taking a quick shower. He would get dressed in his neat uniform with the sharp lines. He would drape his Auror cloak around his shoulders with resolute movements, firmly attaching the clasp before straightening his back, ready to face whatever the day might have in store for him. 

His uniform wasn’t the only thing he wrapped around himself, though. There was also the armour of courage and the cover of strength. Whenever he was out in the field, they were a part of him, like the embodiment of his force, and once he was done, ready to step back into his private life, he didn’t quite know how to shake it all off and relax.

So maybe it was to be expected that people he met assumed he was always the strong one. That he was nothing but assertive and confident, preferring to take control of every situation. That was, after all, the side of him that people saw, and it wasn’t all that surprising that they expected his private side to be pretty much the same. 

For a long time, Harry reckoned this was how it worked as well. He spent so much time in his _be strong, protect others_ mode that he had a hard time stepping out of that role even when he was able to. 

No wonder then, that his dates all tended to follow the same pattern.

He seemed to attract a certain type of people – nice people, certainly, very decent, pleasant, _soft_ people who looked at Harry with adoration in their eyes, brimming over with lines like, “Whatever you want to do on our date, Harry, is perfectly fine with me” and, “No, let’s not talk about me, tell me about yourself, you’re so interesting.” Sweet, well-intentioned people, more or less consciously searching for someone to look after them. Perfectly nice dates that never seemed to amount to much besides an occasional second date, awkward goodnight kisses and a feeling of something missing. 

Maybe things would’ve continued to stumble along like this if it hadn’t been for Draco Malfoy.

Draco, who’d been able to observe from the front row the striking lack of spark during date after date. 

It so happened that Harry’s favourite restaurant for his dates was also Draco’s regular hangout (Harry had asked, later, if it was a coincidence that Draco and Blaise always started their evenings out precisely here, where Harry frequented, and he was yet to receive a clear answer). 

Draco, who slowly started acknowledging Harry’s presence, first with curt nods and polite smiles, gradually accompanied by friendly waves, until eventually one night Draco moved over to Harry’s table once the date was over and uncomfortable goodbyes had taken place. 

(And yes, it was possible that Harry sometimes also went to that particular restaurant, for reasons he preferred not to explore too closely, on evenings when he didn’t have a date. Entirely possible.) 

“I know what you need,” Draco said one night, seemingly out of the blue.

They’d done this a couple of times now, sitting across from each other in the restaurant, talking and laughing. Harry was amazed by how natural it all felt.

“I’m fine, I don’t need anything,” Harry replied at once, by default. 

“Nonsense,” Draco said, forcefully. “What you need is someone to take care of you.” And then he sent Harry a bright smile. 

An unknown feeling washed over Harry, a certain... calm was the closest he got to describing it, mixed with excitement. Strange. And yet so good. 

Because in the weeks to come, Draco showed him something important about himself. Harry did rather enjoy being taken care of. To his constant astonishment, he revelled in leaving control to someone else. Someone he trusted. Someone like Draco.

Exhibit A: Draco taking care of Harry when he’d been hit by a nasty curse at work and was pretty much out of it for a few days. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Draco came over, bringing tea and treacle tart, making certain that Harry was as comfortable as possible, given the circumstances. And Harry loved it. He didn’t use to think that he would, but Draco proved him wrong. There was something so right about what should’ve been the most unlikely scenario: Draco Malfoy strolling around in Harry’s flat, humming to himself while doing the dishes or reading out loud to keep Harry from succumbing to boredom. Maybe it was easy getting used to this because Draco was a healer. Truth be told, though, Harry suspected that a lot of it had to with Draco _taking charge_ while taking care. And it felt good. Really good.

Exhibit B: Massages. Harry could turn warm all over just by thinking about Draco’s thorough, slow massages, his hands firm and oily, knowing just the right buttons to push. 

Harry’s favourite, though, was exhibit C. 

Letting Draco tell him what to do. 

Letting Draco sneak up behind him when they were out somewhere, Harry having a great time, just getting started. Letting Draco’s hot breath caress his neck, hearing his rougher-than-usual voice say, “We’re leaving” and be totally fine with it.

More than fine. 

Hearing Draco tell him – command him – to take off his clothes. Feeling Draco’s eyes roam all over his naked body until he squirmed in breathless anticipation, before Draco had even touched him at all. Letting Draco flip him around on the bed, often onto his stomach with his arms trapped underneath him. Following Draco’s instructions – “Turn around” and, “Hands above your head” and, “Don’t touch yourself until I say so.”

Letting Draco in, feeling him surrounding Harry, being above him, underneath him, inside him, body and soul.

Knowing that he’d never stop wanting this.

Relaxing in the safe knowledge that Draco was there for him.

As he was for Draco.

Always.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are very much appreciated here or at [LiveJournal](http://hd-owlpost.livejournal.com/).


End file.
